Call for a ban on wedges

[havoc]

Banning wedges would be absurd, but it does sadden me how many near identical flippers there are out there. I personally think you should try and make your robot unique, even if its in a small way.

RW has become too off the shelf

It saddens me to see an advert for two etecs and for everyone to know what that is...and to already own 4 of them.

And whats all this bolting hardox to everything? Has anyone actually picked up a material spec booklet? Or does everyone just go....pff sounds good, ill screw an inch of it to my robot?

It was similar in the beginning. For S2 everyone was ringing up wheechair shops blagging motor/gearbox combos to be like roadblock!
But for me the variety (and often the failures!) of the designs made it much more exciting to watch.

Id rather make a robot that made people smile than one that predictably won.

To the original designs out there, i salute you!

Thats absurd.

All A1GP cars look alike, it doesnt make the race any less exciting.

Everyone in my shooting club uses the same brand gun, it doesnt lessen the fun.

[havoc]

Well, i find GP type races fairly dull TBH, but thats just my opinion.
I agree, all the robots could be literally identical and competing would still be great fun, yet it would certainly devalue the fights for the spectators, and thats what this thread is about isnt it?
F1 teams have closely guarded secrets that they belive give them an edge. I was just pointing out as a separate point that people shouldnt just accept that the best possible design/battery/ram/motor/speedo has been identified and use it without question. I know nobody here is knowingly doing that, too, but often if someone shows you a design for for a new kind of gismo, then asks you to design your own, youll subconsiously be a lot less original than if youd designed it in the first place.

If you happened to be watching the London marathon, would you be rooting for the antique deep sea diver or some random sweaty bloke?

Robotwars is many things to many people. If your only desire is to win, then go for a winning design and improve on it. Yes this is boring, but that usually the safer bet.
The people competing just for fun, show up with a scrap bot that will never win, but is easily maintainable, relyable and cheap.
Complete new desigs are rare, and often dificult to replicate, These machines remain uniqe.
If its easy enough to copy and proves to be an advantage, everybody will have it in a years time. This has nothing to do with lack of inventiveness, this has to do with remaining competative.
Yes, somebody (I think it was Jeroen) picked up a booklet with materials specifications and tried out hardox. This worked so well, everybody is using it now, as it will keep you competative.

I understand you look at it from a spectators perspective, but if this where only a true spectators show you would probably be better of with Jim Henson.

Honoustly? I would be laughing my behind of since I take a cab.

For me, I dont think I ever had a robot that looked the same as another one except Hannibal, which was an obvious chaos 2 clone. But if that design provved to be a successfull one, I would not be surprised if i see more of them, and I definatly would not mind.

Same with Gravity 3, there are several look-a-likes out there, and I enjoy all the fights they do, as a spectator.

I do realize what you are saying, and there will always be a problem between what a paying spectator wants, and what a sports roboteer want. If you want to win, you go for effectiveness first, looks and style second. If you want showmanship, you work the other way around. Only very few robots can pull off both at the same time.

[babeth]

Hardox is obsolete. HDPE is the new thing.

I always thought cheese/whiped cream composite was underutilised.

and according to Battle Bots rules thats banned!

[jamesb]

ill remind everyone i invented taffer (and applied for the patent )
welsh made titanium / gaffertape composite.
surprised it died out really....

Wasnt Taffer superceded by the self moulding product Jellotape?